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Podcasts Take Two
Easy Fire, NCAA Fair Pay To Play, LA Kurdish Community
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Oct 30, 2019
Listen • 48:30
Easy Fire, NCAA Fair Pay To Play, LA Kurdish Community

The latest updates with the Easy Fire in Simi Valley, NCAA starts a process that could clear the way for student athletes to profit, Kurds in Los Angeles.
The Easy Fire is moving west, burning between the communities of Simi Valley and Moorpark.
The Easy Fire is moving west, burning between the communities of Simi Valley and Moorpark.
(
Courtesy Ventura County Fire Department via Twitter
)

We get the latest updates on the Easy Fire in Simi Valley. Plus, how the NCAA is considering changes that could clear the way for student athletes to profit. And, a look at the Kurdish community in Los Angeles.

Easy Fire

The Easy Fire has burned 1,300 acres with no containment so far. The fire has threatened more than 60,000 homes in the area. We get the latest from the Reagan Library where KPCC's science reporter has been covering the Easy Fire.

Guest:

  • Jacob Margolis, KPCC science reporter

Fire Mutual Aid

Multiple firefighting agencies are working together to put out the numerous fires throughout the state. We look at how the system works.

Guest:

  • Kim Zagaris, Western Fire Chiefs Association and former Fire and Rescue Chief for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services

NCAA Fair Pay to Play

Late last month, Governor Newsom signed the "fair PAY to PLAY act." It gave college athletes the right to earn money from the use of their name and likeness. The move put the state at odds with the National Collegiate Athletic Association which has banned the practice. Many wondered how they might respond. Well, yesterday, the NCAA gave their reply: the Board of Governors voted unanimously to modify their rules to all college athletes to profit. What's not clear is how that arrangement will look. They'll have until January 2021 to figure it out.

Guest:

  • Kenneth Shropshire, CEO of the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University

Kurds in Los Angeles

In Northern Syria, the U.S. troop withdrawal and the Turkish offensive has resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of people displaced. This also means the likely end of a radical democratic experiment called Rojava. In Southern California, Kurdish-Americans and local supporters of this unique Kurdish-led autonomous region are eager to save it. KPCC's Aaron Schrank reports.

Easy Fire Evacuation Center

The Easy Fire out in Simi Valley flared up this morning…and moved fast...chewing up hundreds of acres in a matter of hours. Seven thousand homes are under evacuation orders, affecting some 26,000 residents.

Guest:

  • Emily Elena Dugdale, KPCC reporter at the evacuation center in Thousand Oaks

Department of Motor Vehicles

For many Californians, their DMV experience hasn't been smooth, especially in the past few years. Crumbling tech had led to ballooning wait times at many locations. A troubled voter registration program misfired, even registering people who were not eligible to vote. Lawmakers held hearings about the department's troubles. And last December, the DMV's last leader stepped down. But Steve Gordon is hoping to change all that. A few months ago, he was installed as the new director of the California DMV.

Guest:

  • Steve Gordon, CA DMV director

On the Lot

The new film "Bombshell" is shedding light on non-disclosure agreements and their place in sexual harassment cases. Plus, did you feel that? There's another disturbance in the force as the Game of Thrones showrunners have abandoned plans to make a Star Wars trilogy.

Guest:

  • Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter